UK researchers have found that apples may help reduce the risk of developing asthma. The scientists from King's College, London and the University of Southampton report that people who ate at least two apples a week, have a 22-32 per cent lower risk of developing asthma than those who eat fewer apples. Their conclusions, which have been reported in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine published last month, are founded on population-based case-control studies of 1,471 adults in the UK. The aim of the study was to determine how dietary antioxidants might affect asthma risk.

The scientists warn that more research is needed to better understand how apples and apple nutrients affect lunch health, but believe that flavonoids in the fruit might reduce the inflammation caused by asthma through either an antioxidant, antiallergenic, or anti-inflammatory response.

This is not the first study to link apple consumption to improved lung function. Separate work carried out over the last two years at the University of Nottingham, and St George's Hospital London has also suggested a link between apples and lung health and a study at the Dutch University of Groningen earlier this year has drawn similar conclusions.

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